The post Consented & Built Schemes first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

Climate neutrality, or “going carbon neutral”, refers to an entity achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by either balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal (offsetting), or eliminating carbon emissions altogether. With renewable energy generation already established and a stable distribution network in operation at the Corrour Estate, the journey to carbon neutrality is continuing with increased electrification across the estate’s commercial and domestic loads.

Hydroplan are currently part of a panel of engineering and architecture consultants, designing and tendering for a sustainable energy project, which will encompass a new spatial layout, electrification of heat, provision of electric vehicle charging and consolidation of backup power generation. Hydroplan is the lead engineering consultant on the electrical distribution, including all changes to the 33kV, 11kV and 415V underground cable networks and associated substations.

Key Features:

• Remote, rural location
• Net zero emissions
• LV and HV electrical networks

The post Corrour Sustainable Energy Project first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

Two small hydroelectric schemes in the north west of Scotland were developed in 2016 in the rush to meet the cut-off date for the FIT. They were designed by a consultant and turbine supplier both of whom subsequently went into administration. From the outset after hand-over, some of the pipelines and other component parts failed and the schemes underperformed to the extent that the owner had little choice but to take legal action against the designers under their Professional Indemnity Insurance policy.

Hydroplan was contracted to provide the services of an Expert Witness which involved a detailed technical due diligence exercise on the design of the two schemes in relation to overall layout, pipeline design, build quality and actual performance. This work included the installation of monitoring equipment (cameras at intakes and flow and pressure gauging), analyses of actual and potential energy production, making recommendations on the necessary remedial works to the intakes and pipelines including detailed estimates of the cost.

The purpose of this work was to provide professional and impartial advice to the Court. Based on the information and reports that Hydroplan supplied, the case was settled out of court to the satisfaction of the owner.

Key Features:

• Complex schemes
• Multiple considerations
• Short deadlines and time pressure

The post Expert Witness first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

Knottingley is a 500kW low head hydro scheme on the River Aire in Yorkshire. The scheme was one of the first hydropower schemes in the UK to be co-located with a battery. The lithium-ion battery unit has a capacity of over 1200kWh and is designed to deliver Firm Frequency Response (FFR) for the National Grid. The battery can also export over TRIAD days, multiplying the scheme output by 2½ times.

The battery is remotely controlled using Limejump’s Virtual Power Plant offering. When not performing FFR or TRIAD services, the battery is used for load shifting and for trading to maximise the revenues at each site.

Hydroplan performed due diligence on behalf of the lender during construction and carried out a review of scheme performance in relation to raising the weir after commissioning.

Key Features:

• Battery and hydropower co-location
• Urban setting
• Pioneering approach
• Grid balancing services

The post Knottingley Battery first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

Brynteg Coastal and Country Retreat is a holiday park run by Park Leisure in North Wales. During a period a sustained heavy rainfall in late 2017 a resulting flash flood overwhelmed the drainage culvert carrying a small watercourse through the site and caused extensive damage to the park.

Hydroplan was employed as a subcontractor to the main contractor, Lynwoods Building Consultancy, to carry out a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and provide a sizing for a replacement culvert.

The job comprised of two separate tasks. Firstly a desktop FRA was carried out so that a new culvert could be sized appropriately and installed immediately. Hydroplan then followed up with a site visit and investigation to provide suggestions for further mitigating the flood risk in the future.

Key Features:

• Flood remediation
• Estimates of return period floods
• Culvert sizing

The post Brynteg Flood Risk Assessment & Culvert Sizing first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

The Final element of the wider Corrour Estate hydro project was the completion of a substantial 33kV & 11kV private network. This project not only brought electricity for the first time to areas of the Estate, but includes major upgrade works to the SSE Grid Supply Point at Rannoch Power Station on Loch Rannoch, seven Private Substations (33kV & 11kV), four Hydro Power Stations, over 50km of new buried HV cable, nine LV transformers and two network transformers.

This private HV Network now supplies a mainline railway station, a Youth Hostel, the Station Restaurant, 9-holiday cottages, accommodation for the Estate’s 12 staff, BT & Vodafone masts and the main Estate Lodge.

• New 11kV substation created at Ghuilbinn Power Station.
• 6km of new 11kV underground cable laid between Ghuilbinn & Moy via Luiblea, crossing the River Ghuilbinn and River Spean.
• New 11kV substation at Luiblea providing local LV supply to 3 domestic properties, taking them off diesel generator for the first time ever.
• New 11kV substation at Moy providing local LV supply to 3 domestic properties and Estate Office, taking them off diesel generator for the first time ever.
• Increased electrical capacity will provide future capacity for the transition from oil & gas heating to electric, further removing the Estate’s requirements for fossil fuels.
• Power to this new network will be provided by the Estate’s four hydro schemes.

The post Moy HV Network first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

In 2017, Hydroplan conducted a Due Diligence assessment of two hydropower projects in Yorkshire on behalf of Triodos Bank. The Thrybergh scheme (260kW) is on the River Don near Rotherham and has been operational since September 2015, and the Kirkthorpe scheme (500kW) on the River Calder near Wakefield has been operating since December 2016. Both schemes are low head. The assessment included the following elements:

• Site visit and inspection of the stations.
• Assessment of the quality of construction and the condition of the stations.
• Comparison of predicted AAEP with actual performance since commissioning.
• Review of turbine and station performance.
• Review of current O&M costs.
• Review of future maintenance, repairs and renewals budgets.
• Report providing a summary of the above and recommendations.

Following receipt of this assessment, the Bank then released funds for a further scheme at Knottingley on the River Aire, which Hydroplan inspected for due diligence for the client during construction. This scheme has an installed capacity of 500kW and sells the electricity directly to a paper mill on the opposite bank of the river. All three projects were developed by Barn Energy Ltd.

The post Yorkshire Hydro Project first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

West Strathore is a 5MW solar project, located near Glenrothes in Fife on Scotland’s East Coast. Hydroplan was employed by the scheme lender to undertake a technical review of the project prior to construction and also to act as technical advisor during the construction process.

The first phase of the works comprised a review of the planning and legal documentation, the site layout and system design and the proposed costs, energy yield and timescales for construction. Part of this work also included drawing up a risk register with a traffic light system of red, amber and green risks for the lender to consider.

The second phase of the works involved site attendance during construction and a final report, post-commissioning.

Key Features:

• High installed power
• Short construction timetable
• ROCs scheme

The post West Strathore Solar first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

Carver Hey and Wick Lane are two solar projects where Hydroplan was employed by the scheme lender to undertake a technical review of the projects prior to construction. Thereafter, Hydroplan was the technical advisor during the construction process.

The first phase of the works comprised a review of the planning and legal documentation, the site layout and system design and the proposed costs, energy yield and timescales for construction. Part of this work also included drawing up a risk register with a traffic light system of red, amber and green risks for the lender to consider.

The second phase of the works involved site attendance during construction and a final report, post-commissioning.

Key Features:

• High installed power
• Short construction timetable
• ROCs schemes

The post Carver Hey & Wick Lane Solar first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

Building on our experience of developing hydro in Nepal through our Nepalese partner – Sanima Hydro and Engineering Private Ltd (SHEPL) – Hydroplan co-authored a report on hydro opportunities for UK businesses in the country and presented this to City of London financiers in at a Mansion House event in London.

The work involved organising a Lord Mayor’s visit to Nepal, including a helicopter trip to visit a number of remote sites and the production of a 37-page report.

The post Nepal Hydro Sector Dissemination first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.